Light in the Darkness
by slexieotpforever
Summary: We all know the famous Elena Gilbert. But what if she had a sister? What if that sister was special in her own way? What will her role be in the Salvatore brothers' lives? What will her role be in Katherine's plans? Will she crumble upon the pressure and fear, or will she stay strong and fight for herself and the ones she loves? Damon/OC
1. The New Guy

My eyes fluttered open as the alarm in my phone went off, and I groaned quietly as I tried to reach my phone, which lied on my nightstand. After a few seconds, I finally felt the cold, hard texture beneath my fingers and I quickly grabbed it, bringing it in front of my face and clicking the 'OK' icon. I then put it back on the nightstand and stared at the ceiling for a few minutes, lost in thought. How am I going to survive this day? What, am I just going to smile and say, 'I'm fine, thank you,' or, 'Yes, I feel much better,'? If so, then my day will purely consist of lies, lies, and more lies.

"Anna!" I snapped out of my thoughts as I heard Elena knock on my door, "Are you up?!" She must have heard my alarm and was wondering why the shower wasn't turned on yet.

"Yeah!" I called back, and threw my quilt off of me before getting up, ignoring the shivers that ran through me as the air hit my bare legs. I then quickly walked into my bathroom that I shared with my aunt, and quickly stripped my white-brown striped pajama shorts and my white pajama top with brown 3/4 sleeves, jumping into a hot shower. As the water hit my skin, I couldn't help but let out a sigh of pleasure, knowing that this is probably the only pleasant thing about this entire day.

"Hey, Anna!" I heard Jeremy call as he knocked on my door, "Don't go daydreaming again!" he called jokingly, his voice a bit more distant, which meant that he just knocked on the door to tease me and went back to his room. I shook my head at my little brother with a small smile and quickly washed my body with the rose-scented body wash, before quickly wrapping a towel around my body and exiting the bathroom, going back into my room. I then quickly dried myself and put on long jeans and a white-gray striped, loose, 3/4 sleeve shirt. To complete the look, I quickly put on my gray vans, and my long, silver necklace with a large key charm, before walking over to stand in front of my mirror and braiding my hair from the front and putting it in a high pony tail. I then quickly put my towel back on the rack in the bathroom, and then opened the curtains in my room, letting the sun rays in. As I made my bed quickly, I took in a deep breath, before letting it out and grabbing my backpack, and walking out of my room.

"Toast," I heard as I walked downstairs. "I can make toast,"

"It's all about the coffee, Aunt Jenna," I said as I walked into the kitchen, seeing Jenna standing in front of the open refrigerator and Elena sitting at the table. I then quickly put my backpack on the seat next to my twin sister and walked over to our coffee machine, pouring myself some coffee.

"Is there coffee?" Jeremy asked as he walked into the kitchen, and I nodded while holding up them mug slightly.

"Your first day of school, and I'm totally unprepared," Jenna said as Jeremy walked over to me, holding his hand out, and I smiled a small smile as I gave him the already filled cup, since I knew that he would want some coffee as well. He gave me a small smile in return, and I ruffled his hair slightly as I walked over to stand behind Elena. "Lunch money?" Jenna asked, walking over to stand in front of the three of us and holding some money in her hand.

"I'm good," I shook my head.

"So am I," Elena said, while Jeremy quickly snatched all the money from her hand, making me sigh quietly, as I was 99% sure that that money wouldn't be spent on lunch.

"Anything else?" Jenna asked, "A number two pencil?" she asked as she packed her things into her bag. "What am I missing?"

"Don't you have a big presentation today?" I asked, my brows furrowed in slight confusion.

"I'm meeting with my thesis adviser at..." she trailed off as she looked down at the watch on her wrist, before throwing her hands up in frustration, "Now. Crap," she said as she quickly put her hair down, letting it fall loosely on her shoulders.

"Then go," I said, and she looked at me, slightly worried, "We'll be fine," I added with a small smile, and she nodded, letting out a sigh and giving me a thankful smile before grabbing her bag and rushing out of the house.

"You okay?" Elena asked, looking at Jeremy, concerned, making him scoff quietly.

"Don't start," he shook his head, still holding the coffee I made him, before giving me a nod and also leaving.

I let out a sigh as I watched the door for a few seconds, before looking at my sister, who was frowning.

"Give him some time, Elena," I said, and she sighed, but nodded nonetheless. I gave her a small smile, before grabbing my backpack, "Now come on. Bonnie's going to be here..." I trailed off as I heard a honk outside, "Now, apparently," I said, and Elena gave a small chuckle before getting up and grabbing her stuff.

* * *

*Elena's P.O.V., 5 Minutes Later*

"So, Grams is telling my I'm psychic," Bonnie spoke as she drove her car and I listened from the backseat, while Anna sat in the front, "Our ancestors were from Salem, which isn't all that, I know, crazy, but she's going on and on about it, and I'm like, 'Put this woman in a home already!'" she chuckled, and I couldn't help but smile a little as I turned my head to look out the window. However, as soon as I saw that we were driving past the cemetery, I adverted my gaze and concentrated fully on Bonnie so that my thoughts wouldn't wonder off to places I didn't want them at, "But then, I started thinking, I predicted Obama and I predicted Heath Ledger, and I still think Florida will break off and turn into little resort islands," Bonnie said, before stopping as she glanced at Anna. Noticing her expression, I leaned over to also look at my sister, only to see her gazing out the window, lost in thought, "Annabelle!" Bonnie called, letting out a small chuckle, making her immediately turn to look at us, "Back in the car," Bonnie joked with a small grin.

"I-I did it again, didn't I?" Anna sighed as she glanced at me, and I nodded, looking at her worriedly. It's been no secret to me that she took our parents' deaths the hardest, and even though I know she tried to hide it in order to look after me and Jeremy, I can't help but worry about her... and yet admire her at the same time. "I-I'm sorry, Bonnie. You were saying that...?"

"That she's psychic now," I said with a small teasing smile.

"Right, okay..." Anna trailed off, and I could see her holding back a smile, which made me smile, "Then predict something. About me," she said, and Bonnie sighed, looking over at her with a smile, before closing her eyes for a second.

"I see-" she was cut off when something suddenly flew into the car, making us all gasp as Bonnie lost control of the car for a second, before being able to steady it and bring it around the corner, the tires screeching before we halted to a stop, "What was that?!" she exclaimed as we both immediately looked over at my sister, who was trying to take in deep breaths, "Oh, my God," Bonnie leaned back in her seat, also trying to understand what just happened.

"Anna, are you okay?" I asked worriedly as I unfastened my seat belt and leaned over in order to put my hand on her arm.

Bonnie and I both stared at her worriedly as she placed her hand over her chest, trying to control her breathing.

"I-It's okay, I'm fine," she finally spoke, her voice still a bit shaky. I can't even imagine what was going through her head right now, even if we're twins. She was the one who was in the car with our parents when it ran off of the bridge; she's scarred for the rest of her life, no matter how much she wants to pretend that she's alright.

"It was like a bird or something, it came out of nowhere," Bonnie spoke quickly, looking at her apologetically.

"No, it's fine, really," Anna assured, but Bonnie and I both looked at her skeptically, "Look, I can't be scared of cars for the rest of my life," she said, and I shared a look with Bonnie before we both nodded reluctantly, and I sat back in my seat, fastening my seat belt again. I then looked over at Bonnie, only to see her looking at my sister with a soft smile.

"I predict, this year is going to be kick-ass," she said, and I saw Anna smile a little, "And I predict all the sad and dark times are over, and you are going to be beyond happy," Bonnie finished, looking at my sister, and I saw Anna smile a real smile for the first time since the accident, which made me beam happily.

* * *

*Annabelle's P.O.V., 10 Minutes Later*

"Major lack of male real estate," Bonnie said as she, Elena, and I walked down the hallway of our high school, "Look at the shower curtain on Kelly Beach," she grimaced, looking at the girl in walking in front of us, making me stifle a laugh as I looked at Elena, who was walking on my other side. "She looks a hot - can I still say 'tranny mess'?"

"No, that's over," Elena said as I leaned against the lockers.

"Ah, find a man, coin a phrase, it's a busy year," Bonnie grinned at us, about to open her locker, when something behind me caught her attention. My brows furrowed as I saw both her and Elena look in the same direction, and I turned around, only to see Matt staring at me. I couldn't help the guilt that washed over me as I saw the pain flash in his eyes. I raised my hand, giving him a small wave and a small smile, but he just looked at me for a second longer before taking his books out of his locker, slamming the locker shut, and walking away, completely ignoring me.

I sighed sadly as I slowly turned back around to look at Bonnie and my sister, both of whom were looking at me sympathetically.

"He hates me," I stated.

"That's not hate," Bonnie protested, "That's, 'you dumped me, but I'm too cool to show it, but secretly I'm listening to Air Supply's greatest hits'," she said, making me chuckle despite my bad mood as Elena tried to give me a reassuring look.

"Anna, Elena," I heard a voice from my right, and only had a second to turn around before I was engulfed in a tight hug, "Oh, my God. How are you?" Caroline asked, before letting me go, "Oh, it's so good to see you," she said, before turning her attention towards Elena and hugging her tightly as well, "How are they? Are they good?" she asked Bonnie over Elena's shoulder, making me smile. Most people find Caroline shallow, self-centered, and insensitive... which might be slightly true, but she also cares about her friends more than anything and is always there to comfort someone or help them with something. Not to mention she is also my best friend, other than Bonnie, and I love her to bits.

"Caroline, we're right here," Elena said with a small grin, though I could see that she was a bit annoyed, "And I'm fine," she nodded, before they all turned to look at me.

"I'm okay, I'm good," I smiled, trying to make it look at real as possible. "Thank you,"

"Really?" Caroline pressed gently.

"Yes, " I lied again. "Much better,"

"Oh, you poor thing," she said, before pulling me into another hug, making me chuckle quietly. She hugged me for a few seconds longer, before letting me go and smiling, "Okay, see you guys later?" she asked, and we all nodded, "Okay, bye," she smiled, and we all returned it, before walking away.

"No comment," Elena shook her head, making me chuckle.

"Hey, she means well," I scolded with a smile, and Elena just shook her head with a small smile.

"I'm not going to say anything to that," she muttered, making me smack her playfully, before heading down the hallway. As the three of us walked past the school office, Bonnie suddenly stopped.

"Hold up. Who's this?" she asked, and we all turned to look in the direction she was looking at, only to see the back of a tall guy, who was wearing jeans and a black leather jacket. I could also see he was wearing sunglasses, since his head was tilted a bit to the side.

"All I see is back," Elena said.

"It's a hot back," I said, making her chuckle as I smiled, and Bonnie nodded in agreement.

"I'm sensing Seattle, and he plays the guitar," she said in a slightly creepy voice, making me chuckle.

"You're really gonna run this whole psychic thing into the ground, aren't you?"

"Pretty much," she replied, not taking her eyes off of the new guy.

"Jeremy, good batch, man," I heard a guy behind Bonnie say, and I saw my younger brother walk into the men's restroom, making me sigh.

"I'll be right back," I said, and quickly followed my brother.

As I entered the men's restroom, I saw Jeremy standing in front of the mirror, putting eye drops in his eyes. Some guy nearly bumped into me as I walked over to my brother.

"Whoa! Pants down, chick!" he exclaimed, but I ignored him as I stopped next to Jeremy and grabbed his face in both my hands, looking him in the eyes, only to see his pupils dilated.

"Great," I chuckled humorlessly. "It's the first day of school, and you're already stoned,"

"No, I'm not," Jeremy protested, but I just shook my head.

"Jeremy, you can't keep doing this to yourself," I spoke in a softer tone, "It's your choice to make, of course it is, but please, just... be careful." I heard a flush and a guy came out of one of the stalls, glancing at me oddly before leaving the restroom. I sighed and turned to look at my little brother, who was now looking at me with soft yet pain-filled eyes, "Look, I understand that this is your way of dealing with... everything that's been going on, but please... think about what you're doing," I pleaded.

"Like you said... it's my choice," Jeremy said, before leaving the restroom. I sighed, and put my hand over my eyes for a moment before also leaving the restroom. As I turned to the right in order to go back to Bonnie and Elena, I bumped into someone's chest, making me stagger backwards. Hands gripped my arms gently, stabilizing me.

"Careful," the person said, and I looked up, only to be met with a pair of beautiful leaf-green eyes. "Pardon me. Um..." the new guy trailed off as he stared at me, and I returned the gesture as I took in his features. He had light brown hair, thick dark eyebrows, and was just over-all very handsome. But... there was a feeling of familiarity in the back of my mind as well, "Is this the men's room?" he asked as he glanced between me and the restroom I just came out of.

"Yes, um... I-I was just..." I trailed off with a sigh, probably embarrassing myself even further, "It's a long story," I finally said, and he nodded with a smile. I then took a step to the left in order to go around him, but he took a step in the same direction, making me nearly bumped into him again. We both smiled and this time I stepped to the right, but he went the same way once again, making me chuckle, before he gave me a kind smile and stepped to the side, letting me pass, "Thank you," I smiled, and walked past him, but just before I rounded the corner, I felt eyes on me, and turned around, only to see him still staring at me.

* * *

*Third Person's P.O.V., 40 Minutes Later*

"Once our home state of Virginia joined confederacy in 1861, it created a tremendous amount of tension within the state," Mr. Tanner, the History teacher of Mystic Falls High, spoke, as Annabelle turned around to glance over her shoulder when she felt someone watching her, only to see Matt staring at her with hurt and longing in his eyes. She turned back around to face the teacher, but could hardly concentrate as she felt the guilt rise up within her again, "People of Virginia's northwest region had different ideals than those from the traditional deep south," Mr. Tanner kept talking as Annabelle glanced around, only to stop on the new teenage boy in school. As if on cue, he also adverted his eyes from the teacher and looked over at her, making her smile and look back to the front. However, that did not make him stop, and he kept staring at her with a small smile forming on his lips, which Matt noticed immediately.

Only a minute or so later, Annabelle felt her phone buzz in her pocket, and she quickly and discreetly took it out, only to see that she had a text from Bonnie:

'HAWT-E. STARING U'.

Annabelle shook her head with a small smile on her lips, and glanced back at her best friend, only to see both her and her sister smirking at her, as the new guy kept kept staring at her with a small smile on his lips.


	2. Stefan Salvatore

*Annabelle's P.O.V.*

After school was over, Elena got a ride with Bonnie and went home, while I decided to walk to the cemetery, as I often did. As I entered the cemetery, I heard a crow squawk somewhere behind me and turned my head briefly in order to spot the bird just to make sure I wasn't imagining things (like I often seem to now), but couldn't see it anywhere, so I just shook my head and kept going.

*20 Minutes Later*

I sat on the ground, leaning against one of the many statues that were placed all over the cemetery, with my knees pulled up to my chest as I stared at my parents' gravestone, deep in thought. They were buried next to each other, so they only had one gravestone. I played with the blueish/greenish, multi-stone bracelet that I received from my dad on my 16th birthday last year. I don't know how long I sat there, just staring at that gravestone while millions of memories flooded my mind, but I was snapped out of my thoughts by a bird squawking, and I looked up, only to see a black crow sitting on top of my parents' gravestone. How I didn't notice it before, I have no idea.

"Okay..." I trailed off slowly, my brows furrowing as the bird stared at me intently, "Hi, bird," I said, before shaking my head and looking down at my bracelet as I played with it. I sighed, the image of my father's face popping up in my mind, before I looked around half-heartedly, only to get quite creeped out as a thick fog suddenly started to surround me from all sides. I looked around, and then back at the bird, and quickly stood up, walking over to stand next to my parents' gravestone, "Shoo!" I shooed the bird away, seeing as I was quite creeped out with it staring at my while a fog started surrounding me out of nowhere. It was way too much like some horror movie.

I breathed out as the bird flew away and turned around, now a bit calmer, before gasping and staggering backwards a step or two as I saw that same bird now sitting on top of the statue I was leaning against only a few seconds ago. It turned its head to look me in the eye, and squawked again.

I was quite freaked out by now, so I just picked up my backpack and started walking away, fully intending to go home. But after I walked a few meters, I felt eyes on me, and cautiously turned around, only to see a silhouette of a man standing behind one of the statues, watching me. Seeing as I was completely alone in the cemetery except for that man, I started feeling a bit scared and decided to run. I ran down the small hill, but of course, being the clumsy fool that I am, I tripped over a root. As I leaped forward, I caught myself by placing my hands on the tree in front of my, but I felt my shin get scraped by the bark. However, I definitely wasn't paying attention to that at the moment, and simply turned to the right in order to go home, only to gasp loudly and step back as I came face to face with the new guy from school.

"You okay?" he asked me, and I placed my hand over my chest and exhaled in relief, before nodding.

"I'm fine," I replied, and he looked at me with a bit of concern in his eyes.

"Are you sure? I, uh, I saw you fall," he said, gesturing to the tree beside us, and I nodded once again.

"No, I'm alright," I assured him with a small smile, and he returned it, "Are you visiting, too?" I asked curiously, quite certain that he wasn't here just to hang out.

"Yes," he nodded, "I have family here," I nodded in understanding, knowing what it feels like to loose a family member, or members, and then smiled at him kindly.

"I'm Annabelle," I said, and he smiled at me softly, his green eyes staring intensely into mine.

"I'm Stefan," he introduced himself, his voice soft and friendly, giving me a polite nod and stretching out his hand for me to shake. I smiled and placed my hand in his, feeling a warm tingle spread through my arm as I shook his hand. He smiled at me again, and I looked him in the eyes for a moment longer than I should have (though he did so as well) before looking at our hands, which were still clasped together. A small smile formed on my lips, before my gaze landed on the old-fashioned-looking ring on his middle finger.

"Nice ring," I said, my voice snapping him out of some kind of trance, seeing as it took him a few seconds to comprehend what I was talking about.

"Oh," he let go of my hand, raising his hand a bit so that I could see the ring clearer. It looked like the kind of jewelry that was worn in the late XIX century, or somewhere around that time. It also head a beautiful, oval, lapis lazuli stone with silver linings. "It's a family ring. Yeah, I'm kind of stuck with it. It's weird, huh?"

"'Weird' isn't the word I'd use," I said with a small, a bit teasing, smile, and his smile seemed to grow, although it could have just been my imagination. His eyes then traveled up to mine, and he reached his hand towards my face, before grabbing a small leaf and plucking it out of my hair. "Thanks," I smiled at him, and he returned the smile as he threw the leaf to the side, before his eyes fell to the ground and his brows furrowed, his smile disappearing.

"Did you hurt yourself?" he asked out of nowhere, and my brows furrowed a bit.

"Oh, uh..." I trailed off as I crouched down, "I don't know," I said, before pulling up the pant leg of my left leg, only to reveal a bloody gash on the right side of my shin, "Ouch," I muttered under my breath, before looking up at Stefan, only to see him not looking at me, but away from me, his face hidden from my sight.

"You should go. Take care of that," he spoke, his voice strained. My brows furrowed even more in confusion as I looked down at my leg again.

"It's okay, it's not that..." I trailed off as I looked back up, only to look around in confusion as I couldn't spot Stefan anywhere. Where'd he go? And how did he disappear so quickly without me even hearing anything? Am I going insane? "Bad,"

*3 Hours Later*

"We're meeting Bonnie at the Grill," I told Jenna as Elena and I walked past her.

"Okay, have fun," she replied, before suddenly stopping in her tracks, "Wait, I got this: don't stay out late, it's a school night," she said, her expression mockingly serious, her hands on her hips as she looked at us with raised eyebrows. Elena and I shared an amused look, before we both chuckled as she smiled at us proudly.

"Well done, Aunt Jenna," I smiled at her as I chuckled, and she returned the smile before going to the kitchen as my sister and I made our way to the door.

"Shoot," Elena stopped abruptly, before looking at me apologetically, and I looked at her questioningly, "I forgot my phone," she winced, most definitely knowing that I wanted to spend some time with her, Bonnie, and Caroline, since I really missed the times when we would all hang out together.

"Okay, I'll wait," I sighed, and she flashed me another apologetic smile before rushing upstairs. I sighed one more time and shook my head, before opening the door, wanting to wait by the car, only to gasp as I came face to face with Stefan, who was standing on the porch.

"Sorry, I was about to knock," he said apologetically, and I shook my head to snap out of the shock before giving him a small smile.

"It's okay," I smiled, and he nodded, before looking at me a bit more seriously.

"I wanted to apologize for my disappearing act earlier, I know it was... strange,"

"It's alright, don't worry about it," I smiled with a lighthearted chuckle, and Stefan smiled at me, before glancing down at my now wrapped up shin.

"How's your leg?" he asked in a, what seemed to be, worried voice.

"Oh, it's fine. It was just a scratch, really," I replied as I glanced down at my shin, before looking up at him curiously. "How did you know where I lived?"

"It's a small town," Stefan answered nonchalantly, "I asked the first person I saw," he said, and I nodded. It's true. In a town like Mystic Falls, everyone knows everybody. Suddenly, Stefan looked like he remembered why he was really here, and reached into his pocket, "Um, I thought you might want this back," he said, opening his hand, revealing my bracelet.

"Oh, it must have fallen off when I fell," I said more to myself than to Stefan, before grabbing the piece of jewelry as I stepped out onto the porch. "Thank you,"

"No problem," he smiled, and I returned it before attempting to put the bracelet around my left wrist, and failing, "Here, let me," he offered, and I gave him a grateful smile as he grabbed the bracelet from me and gently placed it around my wrist, before giving me a soft smile.

"Thank you," I thanked him quietly, suddenly becoming aware of how close we were.

"Okay, I got it! We can go now!" I heard Elena's voice, and turned around, only to see her stop abruptly in the doorway as she stared at me and Stefan with wide eyes. "Oh,"

"Uh, Elena, this is Stefan," I introduced, wanting to at least ease the awkwardness a bit. "Stefan, this is my sister, Elena,"

"Hi," Elena smiled kindly, stretching out her hand for him to shake as she finally joined us on the porch. Stefan shook her hand with a polite smile, before looking us both up and down really quick.

"Sorry, were you two going somewhere?" he asked, probably worried that he interrupted us as he saw Elena's black, loose, sleeveless dress that reached down to her knees, and my high-waist, black skirt decorated with small white hearts that reached down to my mid-thigh and my beige, tucked in, 3/4 sleeve sweater. Finishing the look was a light brown belt around my waist. My hair was also now out of the pony tail I had earlier and fell loosely on my shoulders, the front part twisted and pinned back.

"Yeah, we're meeting a friend," I said, and he nodded understandingly. That was when I realized that I wanted to spend more time with him, even if it was with someone else keeping us company, so I asked, "Would you like to come?" I was bit surprised to see that Stefan seemed shocked that I asked him, but he hid it quickly and smiled at me as Elena smirked.

"I'd love to,"

* * *

*Third Person's P.O.V., 10 Minutes Later*

"How's Anna doing?" Matt asked Bonnie as they sat together at a table at the Grill.

"Her mom and dad died, " Bonnie replied. "How do you think? She's putting on a good face, and she's strong, but it's only been four months,"

"Has she said anything about me?" Matt asked hopefully, and Bonnie shook her head.

"Oh, no. So not getting in the middle. You pick up the phone and call her,"

"I feel weird calling her," he admitted. "She broke up with me,"

"Give it more time, Matt," Bonnie advised softly, but her smile faltered and her eyes widened as her gaze landed on something behind him, making him turn around.

As soon as they entered the Grill, nearly everyone's gaze was on them. Elena quickly excused herself and went over to Bonnie and Matt, not wanting to feel like the third wheel for even a second longer after riding in the car with the two, sitting in the back awkwardly. Caroline and Tyler, who were playing pool, turned their gazes toward Annabelle and Stefan as well, and they both couldn't believe their eyes. However, Caroline also felt jealousy surge through here, seeing as she hoped that she might, for once, get the guy she wanted. But, of course, it was impossible for her to do so when Annabelle Gilbert was around.

"More time, huh?" Matt turned to Bonnie, his voice sad and the look in his eyes heartbroken, before he pushed himself off the chair and headed over to the two, while Elena looked at Bonnie confusedly, not understanding what was going on, although getting a good idea. Bonnie just smiled sadly, and Elena's guess was confirmed, "Hey, I'm Matt. Nice to meet you," he introduced himself to Stefan politely, and Annabelle looked at him sorrowfully, but at the same time happy that he was being nice.

"Hi. Stefan," Stefan shook Matt's hand, and Matt gave him a nod before looking down at Annabelle, who was much shorter, at 5'3 1/2", than them, seeing as they were both taller than 6 feet.

"Hey," she smiled at him, wanting to make him feel at least the tiniest bit better, still feeling immensely guilty about their breakup, but he only gave her a look of heartbreak and longing.

"Hey,"

*5 Minutes Later*

After having time to settle down, Caroline, Bonnie, Elena, Annabelle, and Stefan all sat down at a table, and Caroline began her interrogation,.

"So you were born in Mystic Falls?" she asked, and Stefan nodded.

"Mm-hmm. And, uh, moved when I was still young,"

"Parents?" Bonnie asked with a smile.

"My parents passed away," Stefan replied, and the same look appeared on both Annabelle and Elena's faces, who gripped each other's hands comfortingly.

"I'm sorry," Annabelle said sincerely, knowing what it's like to loose a parent, or in this case both, and Stefan gave her a thankful nod, "Any siblings?" she quickly changed the subject, mostly for Elena's sake as she saw the look of sorrow in her sister's eyes.

"None that I talk to," Stefan replied with a small smile, speaking mainly to Annabelle, which was quite obvious considering his eyes never left her. "I, uh, I live with my uncle,"

"So, Stefan," Caroline spoke up, wanting to bring his attention to her instead of Annabelle. "If you're new, then you don't know about the party tomorrow,"

"It's a back-to-school thing at the falls," Bonnie explained with a smile, and Stefan immediately turned to Annabelle, who was sitting on his other side.

"Are you going?" he asked.

"Of course she is," Elena immediately replied, not wanting to give Annabelle even a second to refuse. She knew how her sister felt about parties, especially after what happened after the one four months ago, but she couldn't let Annabelle let Stefan slip through her fingers. She saw how he looked at her sister, and she wanted Annabelle to finally be happy. And if Stefan was the key, she decided there and then that she will do anything to help him with her sister.

Annabelle felt a smile grow on her lips, and she shook her head at her sister lightly, before bringing her gaze up to look at Stefan, who was already gazing at her with a soft smile.

*1 Hour Later*

Stefan opened a cabinet in his room, and pulled out an old-looking journal. He opened it, and looked at the old picture that was in between the pages. It was a photo of a beautiful woman, with a late XIX century hairstyle. The woman in the photo looked exactly like Annabelle, down to the smallest detail, but it wasn't Annabelle. Under the photo it read: _Layla 1864_.

*The Next Day*

"The Battle of Willow Creek took place right at the end of the war in our very own Mystic Falls. How many casualties resulted in this battle?" Mr. Tanner asked the class. "Ms. Bennett?"

"Um... a lot?" Bonnie answered, though it sounded like a question, making a few people chuckle. "I'm not sure. Like a whole lot,"

"Cute becomes dumb in an instant, Ms. Bennett," Mr. Tanner said coldly, making Bonnie look down. "Mr. Donovan. Would you like to take this opportunity to overcome your embedded jock stereotype?"

"It's okay, Mr. Tanner, I'm cool with it," Matt replied, making everyone chuckle.

"Hmm," Mr. Tanner hummed, before he brought his gaze onto the oldest Gilbert child. "Annabelle? Surely you can enlighten us about one of the town's most significantly historical events?"

Unfortunately, Annabelle wasn't paying attention as she played with her bracelet, remembering what Stefan's fingers on her wrist and her hand in his felt like, so she didn't even know what the question was when the teacher called on her.

"I'm sorry, I..." she shook her head and trailed off with a sigh. "I don't know,"

"I was willing to be lenient last year for obvious reasons, Annabelle. But the personal excuses ended with summer break," Mr. Tanner said, and Annabelle looked down as she took in a deep breath, while Elena stared at the teacher in disbelief, not knowing how to comprehend what their teacher has just said to her sister.

"There were 346 casualties, unless you're counting the local civilians," Stefan answered the History teacher's question, also looking slightly aggravated that someone would say something like that to Annabelle.

"That's correct," Mr. Tanner nodded, glancing at Annabelle, before pointing at Stefan. "Mister..."

"Salvatore,"

"Salvatore. Any relation to the original settlers here at Mystic Falls?"

"Distant," Stefan replied after a moment of silence.

"Well, very good," Mr. Tanner praised. "Except, of course, there were no civilian casualties in this battle,"

"Actually, there were, uh, 28, sir," Stefan spoke up. "Confederate soldiers, they fired on a church, believing it to be housing weapons. They were wrong. It was a night of great loss. The founders' archives are, uh, stored in Civil Hall if you'd like to brush up on your facts, Mr. Tanner," Annabelle's mouth slowly opened in disbelief and a smile spread across her face at how Stefan defended her (even if it was indirectly), and everyone chuckled in disbelief as well, though they were all glad that Mr. Tanner finally got what he deserved.


	3. The Attack

**Thank you so much for the reviews! I hope you like this chapter! And don't worry, Annabelle will not be like Elena. It may seem like it now, but this is barely the first episode, and even now her dialogue is already a bit different from Elena's in the show. Personally, I hate Elena, so I am definitely not gonna make Annabelle do and say everything Elena does, or I would hate my own character.**

* * *

*Annabelle's P.O.V.*

"Just admit it, Anna," Bonnie pressed, making me sigh.

"Okay," I gave in. "So, he's a little pretty,"

"'A little'?" Elena scoffed from beside me, making me shove her playfully.

"He has that romance novel stare," Bonnie said.

"Stefan looked deep into her eyes, piercing her very soul," Elena said in a deep voice, making me and Bonnie laugh as I elbowed her playfully.

"So where is he?" Bonnie asked, looking around.

"I don't know," I shrugged, also glancing around but not seeing the handsome guy anywhere. "You're the psychic, you tell me,"

"Right, I forgot. Okay, so give me a sec. Grams says I have to concentrate," Bonnie said, the disbelief clear in her voice as she closed her eyes.

"Wait," I said, holding my finger up, "You need a crystal ball," I said and looked around quickly, before picking up an empty beer bottle that was lying on the ground behind me and holding it up. Bonnie and Elena both chuckled, and Bonnie extended her hand, grabbing the bottle and touching my hand at the same time. However, as soon as our hands made contact, I felt a weird sense of electricity pulse through my hand and up my arm, making me gasp quietly.

I looked at Bonnie, wanting to see if she felt that too, but she was already staring at me with wide, fearful eyes. After another few seconds of her just staring at me, she pulled her hand away as Elena looked between the two of us confusedly.

"What?" my sister asked.

"That was weird," Bonnie said, her eyes still on me, "When I touched you, I saw a crow," My breath caught in my throat as I remembered what happened at the cemetery yesterday.

"What?" I breathed out.

"A crow... There was fog, a man... And I felt this weird shock, like electric shock or something..." she trailed off, and I just continued looking at her with wide eyes. She must have noticed, 'cause she immediately shook her head, "I'm drunk. It's the drinking. There's nothing psychic about it," she said, although it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself instead of me, as she grabbed the beet bottle from me, "Yeah? Okay, I'm gonna get a refill," she said, before quickly walking away as I thinking about what she just said. How could she have seen these things, the same things that I saw at the cemetery yesterday? She wasn't there with me. And why did we both feel some kind of weird shock when our hands touched? It wasn't the first time we touched hands, but it's definitely the first time something like that ever happened.

"What was all that about?" Elena asked as she stepped forward to take Bonnie's place, and I shook my head, still caught in thought.

"I don't know," I said quietly, before taking a deep breath, "I'm gonna go talk to her," I said, and turned around, only to bump into someone's chest.

"Whoa," I hear a familiar voice, as familiar hands caught my arms to steady me, "Hi," I looked up into Stefan's beautiful green eyes, and chuckled as a smile grew on my face.

"Hi," I chuckled, a bit breathless, seeing as my heart was still beating a bit too fast from the scare he gave me when he appeared out of nowhere.

"I-I did it again, didn't I?" he asked, also referring to appearing out of nowhere.

"Yeah," I nodded, still smiling as I noticed that he still didn't let go of my arms.

"I'm sorry," he smiled, and I couldn't help but mirror it, but then it faded as my thoughts wandered off to what happened between me and Bonnie, "You're upset about something," Stefan noticed, and I sighed, shaking me head.

"No, don't worry about it," I said as I noticed Elena walking away as quietly as possible, making me hide a smile, "My mind is just a bit preoccupied right now, but it doesn't matter, because... you're here," I said, my smile coming back.

"I'm here," he smiled at me softly, his hands still on my arms. "Would you take a walk with me?"

"Sure," I smiled and he, much to my disappointment, let go of my arms as we started walking side by side. "You know, you're kind of the tale of the town,"

"Am I?" he joked.

"Mm-hmm," I nodded with a smile. "The mysterious new guy, oh yeah," I said, and we both chuckled.

"Well, you have the mysterious thing going too... twinged in sadness," he said, and I sighed.

"You've noticed, huh?" I asked, and he nodded, before smiling softly to ease up the mood a bit.

"Well, uh, we did meet in a graveyard," he stated, making me chuckle despite the bad memories coming back.

"Right," I nodded, before grinning. "Oh, no. Wait. Technically, we met right outside of the men's room," I pointed out, and we both chuckled as we stepped onto the bridge right on the outskirts of the woods. "You don't want to know, it's... it's not really party chit-chat,"

"Well, I've never really been very good at, uh... chit-chat," he said with a small smile, silently telling me that he won't judge me and that I can trust him. And I felt myself open up to him.

"Last spring... my parents' car drove off of Wickery Bridge into the lake, and... I was in the backseat, and I survived, but... they didn't," I said, avoiding his gaze as tears came to my eyes and a familiar pang hit my heart, but I held it all back, trying not to let Stefan notice. Suddenly, I couldn't here his footsteps anymore and turned around, only to see that he stopped walking as he gazed at me for a moment, silent.

"You won't be sad forever, Annabelle," he said, and I nodded, silently thanking him, because that was the first time I actually believe those words. "So, uh, I like Bonnie. She seems like a good friend," he said, trying to get my mind off the topic of my parents, which I was thankful for, even though it did fell good to get it off my chest and tell someone who, I feel, understands the pain of loosing someone.

"Best friend in the world," I smiled at the thought of my amazing friend as I leaned against the railing.

"And Matt, he can't seem to, uh... take his eyes off of us," he said as we both looked down to where Matt, Bonnie, Elena, and Caroline were standing, Matt's eyes on me.

"Well, Matt's that friend since childhood whom you start dating, because... you owe it to yourselves, to see if you can be more," I said, struggling to explain my relationship with Matt, but Stefan seemed to completely understand what I meant as he nodded.

"And?" he asked gently with a small smile.

"And then my parents died... and everything changed," I said, "Anyway, Matt and I, together we just... I don't know, it wasn't..." I trailed off, not knowing how to phrase what I meant.

"Passionate," Stefan supplied, and I looked over at him in surprise. How did he know?

"No," I said as I looked into his eyes, suddenly not being able to look away, "No, it wasn't passionate," I said softly, and we continued to look into each other's eyes, before I noticed his eyes redden noticeably, and veins underneath his eyes pop out a bit, "Hey, are you okay?" I asked, a bit worried. "Your eyes..."

"Oh, um," he immediately turned away, rubbing his eyes with his hands, "Yeah, no. It's, uh, it's nothin'," he shook his head, before glancing at me, "Um... are you thirsty? I'm gonna get us a drink," he said, and, without waiting for my reply, walked past me back to where everyone else was, leaving me to stare after him, confused.

After a few seconds of just standing there, I sighed and shook my head lightly before walking down the bridge and to where everyone else was, intending to look for Caroline, Bonnie, and Elena and talk to them for a bit before Stefan got back... if he got back.

"Looking for someone?" I heard a voice and turned my head, only to see Matt standing in front of me.

"Hey," I gave him a small smile, not knowing what else to do. It was still a bit... actually, more than a bit, awkward between us.

"When you broke up with me, you said it was because you needed some time alone," he said, and I had to stop myself from sighing, knowing where this was going and not wanting it to go in that direction, since I don't want to hurt Matt any more than I've already hurt him. "You don't look so alone to me,"

"Matt, y-you don't understand..." I trailed off with a sigh, not knowing how to tell him anything without hurting him.

"It's okay, Anna," he said, and I sighed quietly. "You do what you have to do... I just want to let you know that I still believe in us," he said. "And I'm not giving up on that," he said, before walking away, making me sigh.

"Matt..." I tried calling, but then cut myself off, realizing that there's really nothing I can do, so I just looked around, wanting to spot my friend and sister, only to see Caroline talking to Stefan. She looked drunk, and he looked uncomfortable, making me shake my head with an amused smile as I leaned against a wooden barrier, and simply watched. After only a few seconds, Stefan told my friend something, before walking over to me, "You know, I was wondering who abducted you," I said with a teasing smile, before glancing at Caroline. "Now I know,"

"Is she like that with, uh, all the guys?" Stefan asked, and I chuckled.

"No," I shook my head, "You're fresh meat," I said with a teasing smile, and he looked at me, a bit nervous, and I couldn't help but laugh, "Don't worry, she'll back off eventually," I said, and he smiled at me, looking relieved. I shook my head with a smile, but that smile was immediately wiped off my face as I heard a glass bottle shatter, before seeing my brother walk towards the woods, "God, you've gotta be kidding me!" I exclaimed as I pushed off the railing.

"What is it?" Stefan asked, concern in his voice, which would have made me smile if we were in a different situation.

"My brother,"

"The drunk one?" Stefan asked as he followed my gaze.

"That would be him," I sighed, "Excuse me," I said, walking past him.

"Need some help?" he asked, and I looked at him over my shoulder as I continued following my brother.

"Oh, no. Trust me, you're not gonna want to witness this," I said, before turning away from him and walking a bit faster, "Jeremy!" I called, but was, of course, ignored, "Jeremy! Jeremy, where the hell are you going?!" I called as I pushed past the branches and stepped over the roots. I was already only meters away from my little brother, when he suddenly tripped and landed on something. I quickly ran over to help him, only to see that he was lying on top of a person.

"Vicki? No," he muttered, before turning around to look at me. "Oh, my God, it's Vicki!"

"Oh, my God," I gasped as I looked at Matt's sister, who was bleeding from her neck.

"No," Jeremy mumbled, tears in his eyes, when suddenly Vicki jerked forward with a loud gasp, making me gasp as well and jump back a little.

"You'll have to carry her," I said to my brother, and he nodded as he quickly scooped up Vicki into his arms as we made our way back to where everyone else was as quickly as possible, "Somebody help!" I screamed.

"Vicki? Vicki, what the hell?!" I heard Matt yell as he, Tyler, Bonnie, and Elena ran over to us while Jeremy quickly placed Vicki on a table.

"What happened to her?" Tyler asked.

"Somebody call an ambulance!" Matt yelled.

"Everybody, back up, give her some space!" Tyler quickly pushed anyone who tried to get near us away, before returning to standing beside me as I inspected Vicki's neck. Seeing as my dad was a doctor, I could at least determine what happened. I may not like the girl, but she was important to both Matt and Jeremy, as well as Tyler. Besides, just because I don't like her doesn't mean I want her to die.

"It's her neck!" I exclaimed. "Something bit her. She's loosing a lot of blood, and it's bad!"

"Put this on her neck," one of the guys from our school quickly handed me a scarf, and I quickly put it to Vicki's wound, putting pressure.

"Vicki. Vicki, come on, open your eyes. Look at me," Tyler pleaded, as Elena quickly made her way over to me to help keep pressure on the wound, while I looked up to see if anyone called an ambulance already. And when I looked up, I saw Stefan looking down at Vicki with what seemed to be anxiety, before quickly turning around and leaving. My brows furrowed in confusion, but I didn't have time to even wonder what the hell was going on as I tried to stop Vicki's neck from bleeding.

* * *

*Third Person's P.O.V.*

Stefan ran into the boarding house, and a man around his mid 30's sitting at the desk in the living room looked up at him.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Someone else was attacked tonight, Zach, and it wasn't me," Stefan quickly explained, before running upstairs and entering his room. He closed the door behind him, before looking around the room as he felt another presence. He looked over to where his balcony doors were open, when suddenly a black crow flew in, squawking. Stefan's brows furrowed for a second, before he stiffened and turned around, only to see a man standing on his balcony. "Damon,"

"Hello, brother,"


	4. Moving On

**Thank you all for your reviews! I hope you like this chapter!**

* * *

*Third Person's P.O.V.*

"Crow's a bit much, don't you think?" Stefan asked his brother as the crow squawked from its place on the balcony.

"Wait till you see what I can do with the fog," Damon replied.

"When'd you get here?"

"Well, I couldn't miss your first day at school," Damon said, a sarcastic tone in his voice as he walked around Stefan's room. "Your hair's different. I like it,"

"It's been 15 years, Damon,"

"Thank God. I couldn't take another day of the '90's. That horrible grunge look?" Damon chuckled as he circled his brother, "Did not suit you," he smirked. "Remember, Stefan. It's important to stay away from fads,"

"Why are you here?" Stefan demanded as his voice raised a bit in volume, making Damon turn around from where he was looking at something on a shelf.

"I miss my little brother,"

"You hate small towns," Stefan said. "It's boring, there's nothing for you to do,"

"I've managed to keep myself busy," Damon smirked as he started walking around the room again.

"You know, you left that girl alive tonight," Stefan said as he leaned back against his desk. "That's very clumsy of you,"

"Ah, that can be a problem..." Damon leaned against a desk by the wall, pretending to be concerned before he dropped the act and looked at his brother. "For you,"

"Why are you here now?" Stefan asked after a short moment of silence.

"I could ask _you_ the same question," Damon answered as he pushed himself off the desk and took a few steps towards Stefan, "However, I'm fairly certain your answer can be summed up all into one little word," he stopped right in front of his brother, and looked him in the eye as a smirk grew on his lips. "Annabelle,"

* * *

*Annabelle's P.O.V.*

I watched from where I was standing next to Elena as the paramedics got Vicki into an ambulance, and Matt quickly got in himself, before they closed the doors and drove off.

"Hey," I heard Bonnie's voice and turned around to face her as she walked up to us, "We're gonna go mainline coffee, wait for news," she said, referring to herself and Caroline, who was drunk.

"I'll take Jeremy home," I told my sister, assuring her that everything would be alright when I saw her about to say that she won't be able to go with them, "You can go, it's fine," Elena opened her mouth to protest, but I gave her a look, which made her sigh before giving me a thankful smile.

"I'll go make sure Caroline doesn't fall off the chair," she said, making me and Bonnie chuckle a bit despite the atmosphere around us. My sister gave me one last small smile, before heading off towards Caroline, who was sitting on one of the chairs. I expected Bonnie to follow, but she stayed where she was.

"Anna, there's no way I'm psychic, I know that," she spoke, her gaze serious, "But whatever I saw or felt, or I think I saw or felt, I have this feeling..." she trailed off, her voice a bit shaky.

"What?" I pressed, and she stared at me for a while.

"That it's just the beginning,"

* * *

*Third Person's P.O.V.*

"She took my breath away. Annabelle," Damon spoke as he started slowly walking around Stefan's room again. "She's a dead ringer for Layla," he smirked at his brother. "Is it working Stefan? Being around her, being in her world? Does it make you feel alive?" he taunted.

"She's not Layla," Stefan said firmly.

"Well, let's hope not," Damon said, "We both know how that ended," he said, something flashing in his eyes before he smirked at his brother again, "And did you see her sister? She could pass for Katherine any day. And let's not forget that they're not only sisters; they're _twin_ sisters at that," he smirked, and Stefan tensed. "Tell me something, when's the last time you had something stronger than a squirrel?"

"I know what you're doing, Damon," Stefan said after scoffing, "It's not gonna work," he said, starting to turn away.

"Yeah?!" Damon put his hand on Stefan's shoulder and pulled his back roughly to face him again. "Come on. Don't you crave a little?"

"Stop it,"

"Let's do it," Damon tried to put his hand on Stefan's shoulder again, but Stefan immediately shoved it off, "Together. I saw a couple of girls out there," he said, attempting to put his hand on Stefan's shoulder again, but Stefan shoved it off as he took a few steps back. "But, of course, they weren't as beautiful, so let's just cut to the chase," he attempted to smack Stefan in the head, but it was deflected. "Let's just go straight for Annabelle,"

"Stop it!" Stefan yelled, losing his calm demeanor and shoving his brother back.

"Imagine what her blood tastes like!" Damon yelled, trying to provoke Stefan as he saw him shaking with rage. "I can,"

"I said stop!" Stefan yelled, his eyes now red, his veins and fangs now completely showing. He growled, before launching himself at Damon, the two of them flying out through the window. However, as soon as Stefan hit the hard pavement, Damon was nowhere in sight.

Stefan slowly managed to get back up on his feet, groaning in pain a bit as shards of glass pierced his skin, and looked around.

"I was impressed," Damon said from where he was leaning against the bushes, making Stefan turn around to face him. "I give it a six. Missing style, but I was pleasantly surprised," he said as Stefan brushed himself off all the glass shards quickly, "Very good with the whole face -" Damon imitated Stefan's growling, "-thing. It was good," he chuckled.

"You know, it's all fun and games, Damon, huh? But wherever you go, people die," Stefan said, getting closer to his older brother.

"That's a given,"

"Not here," Stefan shook his head. "I won't allow it,"

"I take that as an invitation,"

"Damon, please. After all these years, can't we just give it a _rest_?"

"I promised you an eternity of misery, so I'm just keeping my word," Damon replied as he took a few steps forward.

"Just stay away from Annabelle," Stefan pleaded, but Damon's gaze fell to his hand instead.

"Where's your ring?" Damon asked, and Stefan looked down at his hand, only to realize that his ring was missing from his middle finger, "Oh, yeah, sun's coming up in a couple of hours, and poof, ashes to ashes," Damon said, pretending to be concerned while Stefan simply stared at him with a sad and a bit fearful expression, "Relax," Damon chuckled, stepping forward, "It's right here," he extended his hand, revealing the lapis lazuli ring on his open palm. Stefan looked at his brother for a second, before taking the ring from his hand and slowly placing it back on his finger. However, as soon as it was in place, Damon's face transformed to one of a vampire and he grabbed Stefan by the throat, before throwing him at the wooden fence a few meters away from them. Stefan slammed against it, before landing back on the ground as Damon walked over to stand above him, "You should know better than to think you're stronger than me. You lost that fight when you stopped feeding on people. I wouldn't try it again," Damon said, his voice dangerous as Stefan breathed heavily, staring up at him. Suddenly, they both heard rustling coming from the house, and Damon grinned. "I think we woke Zach up," he said, before turning around, "Sorry, Zach," he said as he walked back to the boarding house, whistling, while Stefan stared after him.

* * *

*Annabelle's P.O.V.*

I walked over to Jeremy, who was drinking beer despite the police being only a few feet away from us, and stopped next to him.

"Are you okay?" I asked gently, putting my hand on his shoulder as I saw the complete and utter sadness and pain in his eyes. He didn't reply, but didn't move away from me either, which I was glad for, "Elena left with Bonnie and Caroline. I called Jenna, she's on her way," I informed him, but he didn't say anything, only looked at me with a bit red, puffy, pain-filled eyes, and I sighed, "Jer," I spoke, my voice soft as I slowly took the beer bottle of out his hand and threw it away before the police could notice, glad that he didn't object, "Look... the truth is... people don't really care anymore. They don't remember that our parents are dead, because they've got their own lives to deal with. And because they don't care, they're gonna stop giving you breaks, Jer," he looked over at me again, and I sighed when I saw tears fill his eyes, "The rest of the world has moved on," I said as I grabbed his hand, giving it a squeeze, glad when he didn't pull away, "We should try, too," I said.

"I've seen you in the cemetery, just sitting there and staring at that gravestone," Jeremy spoke up, and I sighed. "Is that - Is that supposed to be you moving on?" I sighed one more time, but shook my head.

"No," I admitted, "It's not, but... Mom and Dad wouldn't have wanted this for any of us," I said, and I saw my little brother's eyes glisten. I sighed and quickly glanced around to make sure that no one from our school was around so that he wouldn't get mad at me for making him look like a kid, before quickly wrapping my arms around him, letting him bury his face in the crook of my neck. Within seconds I felt something wet on my skin, "Shh," I whispered as I stroked my little brother's hair, while tears came to my eyes as well. But I didn't let them fall. No, I had to be strong for Jeremy now.

* * *

*Third Person's P.O.V.*

"Are you sober yet?" Elena asked Caroline as she sat next to Bonnie with Caroline, who was holding her head in her hands, in front of them. The blonde inhaled deeply and looked up, before sighing and shaking her head, putting her head back in her hands.

"No," she said, her voice thick.

"Keep drinking," Bonnie said, "I gotta get you home, I gotta get her home," she nodded towards Elena, "And I gotta get me home,"

"Why didn't he go for me?" Caroline asked as she looked up. "You know, how come the guys that I want never want me?"

"I'm not touching that," Bonnie said.

"Neither am I," Elena said.

"I'm inappropriate, I always say the wrong thing... and..." Caroline trailed off, staring off into space. "Annabelle always says the right thing,"

Bonnie and Elena shared a look before sighing, knowing where that conversation was going and not wanting it go in that direction. "She doesn't even try! And he just picks her. I love her like a sister, but she's always the one that everyone picks, for everything! And I try so hard, and... I'm never the one," Caroline shook her head, her voice cracking.

"It's not a competition, Caroline," Elena said softly, and Bonnie nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, it is," Caroline said.

*30 Minutes Later*

Stefan stared at the picture of Layla, before closing the journal it was in and putting it on his desk. He then made up his mind, and left his room.

Meanwhile, Jenna Sommers looked over at her older niece while they were both in their kitchen.

"Hey," she whispered, and Annabelle turned around, only to have Jenna beckon her over to where she was standing by the doorway. Annabelle looked at her, confused, but walked over to stand next to her aunt, only to see her little brother sitting on the couch in the living room, staring at the picture of their parents that he was holding in his hands. Annabelle sighed quietly and shared a solemn look with Jenna, "Go talk to him," her aunt whispered, "You're better at it than I am," Annabelle wanted to protest and say that Jenna is also good at comforting people and being there for them, but when she looked at her little brother, _she_ wanted be the one to comfort him, so she nodded and walked into the living room, while Jenna remained where she was.

She watched as Annabelle slowly walked over to where Jeremy was and sat down beside him. Seeing as Jeremy was sitting on the edge of the couch, she easily pulled him back so that the back of his head was resting against her collarbone. One of her hands rested on top of his, which was still holding the picture of their parents, while her other hand stroked his hair softly. Jenna, despite it being an extremely sad moment for her niece and nephew, couldn't help but smile as she watched the two. After she came to live with them, she quickly realized that Annabelle was the one person Jeremy always trusted and confided in, and even though their parents died and they slowly drifted apart... that connection was never lost.

"Why don't you go to bed?" she spoke up after a few more minutes of watching the teenagers, and Annabelle and Jeremy turned around to look at her. She noticed the tear streaks on Jeremy's face, but didn't say anything. Jeremy glanced at his sister, who nodded in agreement with their aunt, and nodded, before putting the picture on the coffee table and heading upstairs, for once without any protests.

Jenna smiled at her niece and opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the doorbell. The two shared a confused look, before Annabelle got off the couch and moved to open the door.

* * *

*Annabelle's P.O.V.*

I opened the door, and my eyes widened a bit.

"I know it's late, but, uh... I needed to know that you were okay," Stefan said, and a light blush decorated my cheeks within seconds as I smiled. That was so sweet of him.

"Thank you... I'm fine," I said, and, surprisingly... actually meant it, "Uh, would you like to come in?" I asked as I stepped to the side, and Stefan gave me a smile.

"Yes," he said, and we smiled at each other one more time before he stepped over the threshold. I closed the door behind him, and smiled as I saw Jenna backing out quickly once she saw who it was at the door.

* * *

 **So, what did you all think about this episode? Personally, I love writing about Jeremy and Annabelle's relationship, and I hope you like that too. And don't worry, Annabelle will definitely not be saying and doing everything Elena does in the show, because then I would start hating my own character since I hate Elena. It may just seem like that at the beginning, but even now I think you can tell the difference. Anyways, please review and tell me what you think!**


End file.
